Dry state, that is what we proclaim we are, but it is an open secret, infact it is a secret no more.
The problem with us Nagas is, we over do everything! From eating meat to chillies to our alcohol consumption, there’s just no line. Following which we love to blame one another, that’s what we do best, blame your parents, your neighbours, your society and your government of course.
To end this social stigma of alcohol consumption, let me be the first person to announce that yes I drink and I enjoy a good drink after a long tiring day, not to get drunk and start a fight or bad mouth the person in front of me, but to relax, to unwind and as I socialise with some friends.
Everything in moderation is acceptable, please understand that and if you do NOT understand that, please don’t even bother reading any further. So I say alcohol is, in moderation, acceptable! I am no preacher to lead you towards a revolution of sorts, all I want is to bring forth what 99% of the free educated youth and several suppressed elders have in mind, “lift the alcohol ban in our state and legalise it.”
To begin with, revenue would stay within our OWN state instead of giving everything to our neighbours, and also because we have no other note worthy revenues. If we lift this ban, quality would improve without a doubt, following which quantity would reduce! Yes, first 2-3 weeks there would be quite the line, after battling the initial embarrassment of being seen in the queue, but soon after, even that line would cut short as it would just be another shop in our busy town.
Do we not already see multiple alcoholics in rehabs and hospitals who punish their families enough? If we lift this ban, we can curb this nuisance in the long run. The same mannerism applies to every single person, from a child to an adult, if you do not give them what they want, they turn to darker ways to obtain it. We humans want anything that is not allowed, do you see what I’m trying to explain?!
We cannot change our society in a day, specially our Naga community with our narrow mindset, but we can at least begin to try and better ourselves, instead of always being negative and jealous of our neighbours progress, let us be considerate and happy for them, in fact even learn from them and become a better human being.
In a world where there is enough hate, we are a small community of hardly 20 lakhs, so why not we be kind to one another and help each other progress. I apologise if some of you have found my open thoughts offensive and also because it became so varied towards the end. Just tired of the blame game that is our society, let us work together and solve a problem at a time instead of laying a new one at every turn. Lift the alcohol ban, remove this social stigma and let us NOT be hypocrites in each other’s faces.
Thank you.
Dr. K. Lolo Ndang
